Casting fish reel with level winding mechanism



Sept. 16, 1952 5 H BREEDLQVE 2,610,809

CASTING FISH REEL WITH LEVEL WINDING MECHANISM Filed May 1, 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 INVENTOR. S a m Hfireedlove iarneg/ Sept. 16 1952 5 BREEDLOVE 2,610,809

- CASTING FISH REEL WITH LEVEL WINDING MECHANISM Filed May 1, 1947 I 2 SHEETS-S HEET 2 INVENTOR.

5 a m BY l-iBr-eedlqv'e Patented Sept. 16, 1952 "Sam H. Breedlove, Columbus GI.

Application Ma! 1, 1947, 745,261

This invention relates to a multiplying casting reel and particularly to improvements in level winding means, and means for eil'ecting constant lubrication of all moving parts.

A principal object of the inventionresides in 3 Claims. (or. 242-443) furnishing a mechanism with a rocking lever for leveling the line winding, and an arcuate plunger therefor contained in a similarly shaped guide tube and a cam, which cam and plunger arrangements supplies actuating power for the rocking lever. By means of this mechanism the life of the reel is considerably increased.

Another feature of this invention resides in furnishing constant self lubrication and shielding from abrasives. This is obtained by enclosing all gearing and furnishing seals and shields ing devices, the life of the reel is lengthened considerably. 7

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will be understood from thesubjoined description with the aid of theattached draw ings. i

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated on the drawings wherein: n I

Figure l is an axial section of the reel;

Figure 2 is an end elevation as seen from the right oi Figure 1; c

Figure 3 is a vertical section on a. plane along line3-4 ofFigure l2 I Figure 4 and Figure 5 are rapectively, a front elevation ol the level windingilever and a side elevation thereof; i I i a Figure 6 is a sectional view of an oil seal;

and i t Figure 7 is an axial section of a levelin ear and eccentric cam running freely on a stub shalt.

Like numerals denote the some details in the diilerent views of, the drawin s. i

The reel housing'is composed of three fiat plates of metal or plastic material. one Plate II and two end plates H and I! held-together in spaced relation by bracing rods 13 which extend from end to end of the housing. The plates [8 and U are placed a distance apart to hold the pool proper ll, while plates It and 11 with a cylindrical ,flnznge 12a. provide a closed cham her for gears. Leak proof gaskets it are furnished at the housing loints-andedges 1d! said plates forming sleek prool housing.

' About-midmy betweenthe pl 'tes 'lfl and ll the housing is secured to a mounting plate ll se- The spool consists of a pair of saucer shaped disks 2 with their peripheral edges bent outwardly end-connected by a straight shaft 2| which is reduced in diameter outside of the disk '20 into a left hand spindle 22 and a right hands-pindle 23. The end of spindle 23 is journaled in a socket formed in a thirnbie shaped bearing cup' 24, which is threaded into the outer side wall of the plate I! and provided with a shoulder 24a, between which and the plate I! are inserted a number of shims 25 to allow for the adjustment of the hearing 24 to compensate for any end play of the shaft.

For the left hand spindle 22, a sleeve-like hearing 26 is Iurnished, similarly threaded in the left sideplate H, the outer end of said bearing being exter'iorly threaded for receiving an adjusting cap 21 for adjusting end play of the spindle 22 and spool shaft '21 The inner end of the bear ing 26 is enlarged in diameter as at 26a to receive an oil seal 28 as seen in'Figure 6.

The oil seal 2| which is provided around all moving parts extending thru the walls of the housing, consists of a metal cup 30 fitting around the spindle 22, seen in Figure 6, and containing a washer or ring 28a made of soft, flexible mainvention is the provision of the means for obterial, adapted to close up all openings to prevent leakage oi the lubricant and retaining it a considerable length of time in the housing. The oil I seal may be of the spring loaded type and of antii'riction nature in order to prevent undue load, but to permit free and easy turning of moving pats.

Other oil or lubrication seals consisting of rings or gaskets ii of felt or rubber or simllar'material,

time the fisherman makes a cast; but the gears will run in a-constant bath, if the gear case is completely filled with oil or other lubricant.

- As already stated, the principal object of the twining a level winding of the layers of line on the spool; The mechanism for accomplishing this consists of a guide having the form of an cured "by rivets orthe like to the'bracing'rodsll '55 angled line lever 31, which has its longer arm 3 31a provided with an eye 31 adjacent to its free end through which the line L is threaded. The lever is pivoted, as at 38, to a bracket 39, secured on a mounting plate which supports the reel housing. This mounting plate I! is riveted to the cross stays or rods 3 of the housing. The free end of the horizontal arm 31b is formed with a longitudinal slot 40 in which engages a cross pin 4 la carried on the free 'en'd of a flexible wire actuating plunger 4| for said swinging lever 31, 311). This plunger 4| is arcuate or semicircular in contour and is mounted to slide in a similarly shaped guide tube 42, open, atv both ends and rigidly secured in an opening in, the middle housing plate by a welded bracket 43, in such a manner that the two ends, one inside the gear casing and the other end outside thereof, are each situated in a position for actuation by swinging motion of the leveling lever 31.

than that of the winding gear 50,'reduces the speed of revolution of the latter, causing a slow Thus it will be seen that while the spool winding speed cam 52 always slightly above the lubricant 1' level 34a. I

The outer end of the said arcuate guide 42 is positioned under the slot in the arm 3'|b of the lever 31 and is provided with an oilseal 28 as already described. The plunger 4| is of greater length than the guide tube 42 so that, in the normal position of the parts, both ends protrude above the open ends of the'gulde tube 42, as best seen in Figure 1. A -tension spring 30 has its ends secured to the arm 31b and the stay rod l3 respectively, tending to swing the lever 31 to the right in Figure 1. w

A stub shaft 46 is carried, in a suitable bearing 41 in the right hand plate i2 of the housing, and has on its outer end a double ended crank 48. This bearing 41 is provided with an oil seal 28, as shown in Figure 6. On the inner end of the stub shaft 46 is secured a spool rotating gear 49 and at the side thereof there is secured a line leveling gear 50. Accordingly bothare rotated at the same angular speed as the crank 48. The

spool rotating gear 49 meshes with the gear pinion 5| therebelow which is fixedly mounted on the spool spindle 23. The opening in the middle wall I0 is also provided, with an oil seal 28 around the spindle 23. 1

The driven spool rotating pinion 5| is smaller than gear 49 thereby increasing; therotation of the latter, while the gear ,50 is in mesh with a larger, line leveling gear 53 which carries av cam 52. The eccentric cam 52 and the driven gear 53 are both mounted onthe stub shaft 54, to run freely thereon. 'Said stub shaft 54 is fixed on the plate l2 of the housing. This cam 52 governs the position of the plunger 4|, as the inner end of the latter always is in contact with the surface of the cam 52 and in this manner in-a onehalf revolution of the cam 52-, from its position as shown in Figure 1, the plunger is pushed through the guide 42, and acts to rock the'lever 31 on its pivot 33, so that the arm 31a is shifted fromits centered position toward the left, and thereby guiding the line L evenlyalong the spool 2|. When the cam 52 is turned through the other half revolution the plunger 4|.is retracted bythe action of the spring 30, thereby rocking the lever 31, to shift the arm 31a in the opposite direction.

At the left end of the spool-2| a-ratchet wheel 56 is shown which is secured onthe spindle. On the plate I is fastened a latch spring 51 resting on the teeth of the ratchet wheel 56,111 order to hold the spool locked to prevent unreeling thereof. On this spring 51 is carried-sliding;button 58 whereby thespringj-l is released to free the. spool when the fisherman is-ready to throw theline.

is-very high, the speed of the level winding mechanism is considerably lower. This reduction in the winding drive ratio is necessary in order to place the fish line on the reel in uniform layers across the same and in true circles around it.

The size and shape of cam 52 is therefore of great importance in order to lay the fish line 38 evenly on the reel while turning it. by the crank It will be evident, in order to-obtain a smooth reeling and unreeling of the spool, that, the lubricant in the.casing 34'must have a certain viscosity and lightness. The running of all moving parts of the reel in a bath of oil as described reduces wear, and assures tha't'all parts run smoothly, preventing dynamic unbalance, thus assuring long life and use of the reel.- By means of this constant and automatic lubricating the carrying. of an oil can for such purposes is unnecessary. i

. It is to be understood that the invention as herein disclosed maybe .varied from the details described and shown without departure from the spirit of the subjoined claims.

I- claim: v 1. A fishing line reelcomprising a frame, a winding spool. revolvably mounted therein, a sealed compartment at one end of the frame, a supporting shaft for said spool extended at one end into said compartment, a gear train within said compartment operatively coupled with the said end of said shaft, crank means for actuating said train, said compartment being adapted to contain a fluid lubricant, a line guide, means pivotally supporting said guide for movement relative to thezspool, a reciprocable guide actuator having one end operatively coupled with the guide and asecond end extending into said compartment, means within the .compartment connected with said second end-for effecting movement of the actuator upon actuation of the gear train, an operative coupling between the lastnamed means and the gear train, the said last named means comprising a rotatably mounted cam turned by said gear train, said actuator comprising a flexible wire, and a tubular' sheath for said wire having one end within the compartment in close proximity to the periphery of said cam,'the wire having an end' extended from the said end of the sheath and in contact with the periphery of the cam.

'2. A fishing line reel comprising a frame, a winding spool revolvably mounted therein, a sealed compartment at one end of the frame, a supportingshaftforsaid: spool extended at one end into.v said compartment,ia.gear'2train within said compartment operatively coupledwith the said end of the said shaft, crank means for actuating said train," said compartment being adaptedjto contain a fluid lubricant, a-;;li ne guide comprising a; bell crank member having aflong arm having a guide eye andga short .arm having a. slot, means pivotally supporting the bell crank member with the long arm arranged for movement of the guide eye lengthwise of the spool, a

guide tube having an end extending into the sealed compartment and a second end adjacent to said short arm slot, a plunger in the form of a flexible wire extending through and reciprocable in said tube, means carried by an end of the wire for loose connection in said slot, the other end of the wire extending into the compartment, gear means in the compartment in driving connection with said spool shaft, a crank for rotating said gear means, a cam rotatably supported in the compartment and having driving connection with said gear means to be rotated by the latter, the said other end of the wire being pressed against the working face of the cam, and spring means connected with, and urging swinging movement of, said crank member in the reverse direction to that in which it is moved by the cam actuated wire.

3. A fishing reel comprising a frame, a winding spool revolvably mounted therein, a sealed 7 oil and gear compartment at one end of the frame, a supporting shaft for the spool having one end extended through an oil tight bearing into the compartment, a gear train in the compartment operatively coupled with said shaft 6 short angular arm extending substantially lengthwise of the spool, the long arm having a line guide eye, a tube having an end extending through and rigidly secured to a wall of said compartment and opening at said end into the compartment adjacent to and directed toward the working face of said cam, the other end of said tube being adjacent to said short arm, a flexible plunger wire in and extending through the tube and projecting from each end thereof, an oil seal in the said other end of the tube about the wire, a loose coupling between said short arm and the adjacent end of the wire, the other end of the wire being engaged against the working face of the cam, and a spring operatively connected between an arm and a fixed part of the reel for swinging the crank member in one direction.

SAM H. BREEDLOVE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 693,459 Sutton Feb. 18, 1902 990,914 Shepard May 2, 1911 1,484,906 Russell Feb. 26, 1924 1,507,404 Welch Sept. 2, 1924 1,578,965 Eck Mar. 30, 1926 2,055,451 Case Sept. 22, 1936 2,377,996 Coleman June 12, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 561,849 France Aug. 20, 1923 

